Phrasal Verbs.Understanding and Learning Phrasal Verbs.

" A plane taking off "

Understanding Phrasal Verbs
Learners have problems with phrasal verbs as it is impossible to understand the meaning by looking at the individual words. For instance, the meaning of the phrasal verb take off is different from take or off on its own. Further ( más) complications occur when a phrasal verb has several meanings. In these circumstances, the meaning of the phrasal verb can only be deduced from the context it is used in.

Let’s examine three different meanings for take off.

1. The plane for Stockholm takes off in twenty minutes.
(take off = the plane begins to fly into the air)

2. When she saw me coming she took off in the opposite direction.
(take off = to leave a place, especially in a hurry)

3. David Bisbal’s singing career really took off after Operación Triunfo.
(take off = to become very successful or popular very quickly)

Learning Phrasal Verbs
The best way for learners to remember phrasal verbs is through the use of a context, as we have seen with the phrasal verb take off. It is not a good idea to learn lists of phrasal verbs without the context, as many of them have multiple meanings. If you make the effort to learn them, you will definitely sound more fluent in English. The good news is you only need to understand other people using phrasal verbs, but not necessarily use them yourself. If you have difficulties in using phrasal verbs, you can generally find another way of expressing yourself. For example, take off can be replaced by another verb in the following sentences.

1. The plane for Stockholm leaves in twenty minutes.
2. When she saw me coming she left in the opposite direction.
3. David Bisbal became a very popular singer after Operación Triunfo.